Wdowiak Ridge, a rock-strewn hill about 500 feet long and 40 feet high, was named for the late Thomas Wdowiak, Ph.D., an astrophysicist who helped uncover firm evidence that water once existed on Mars.

Kirby Bland, M.D., Fay Fletcher Kerner Professor and chair of the Department of Surgery and surgeon-in-chief of the UAB Health System Hospitals and Clinics, was named the 2014 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, the highest honor bestowed by the UAB Academic Health Center.

Associate Professor Virginia Sisiopiku, Ph.D., who has more than 20 years experience in traffic operations and safety, simulation modeling and Intelligent Transportation Systems, is the first woman in Alabama to hold this professional distinction.

Shirley Salloway Kahn, Ph.D., has been promoted to senior vice president for Development, Alumni and External Relations. The title change reflects the importance of this role in the university’s operations and future growth, and it acknowledges Kahn’s contributions to UAB’s successes.

Four longtime faculty were elevated to emeritus status during The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees meeting Sept. 19. They are J. Barry Andrews, Melissa Mauser Galvin, Charles L. Turnbough Jr. and Jerry W. Stephens.